Cascadia Commons

Admins

Members

Governance Guidelines

Preface

Best Practices

Governance Design Goals (Incorporate Good Governance Requirements)

Goal : Incorporate Good Governance Requirements

Note: Every article, bylaw, policy, and procedure proposed within Cascadia Commons shall meet all Governance Requirements to be considered for adoption and implementation, or in the case where the article, bylaw, policy, or procedure does not fulfill Governance Requirements shall be construed as not in effect and unenforceable and rejected until such time as alterations can be made to bring the article, bylaw, policy or procedure into compliance with Governance Requirements and be re-evaluated.

Requires : Impartially enforced fair legal framework.

Note: Since we are not a government, the enforcement system would consist of delegation to the attorneys and other legal counsel of Cascadia Commons to back up Judicial Council rulings and findings. In the case of a government, a police force.

Transparency (Premise of Vigilance Council)

Promote : Transparency (Premise of Vigilance Council)

Requires : Rule of Law

Requires : Decisions made and enforced follow rules and regulations.

Requires : Information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement.

Requires : Information provided in sufficient detail and in easily understandable forms, and in accessible forms of media.

Note: sufficient detail (Needs clarification)

Requires : Whistle-blower Protection

Accountability (Judicial Function)

Promote : Accountability (Judicial Function)

Requires : Rule of Law

Requires : Transparency

Requires : Those who make decisions or take actions be made accountable to those impacted or affected by those decisions and actions whether internal and affecting stakeholders or external and affecting the general public.

Requires : Application to governmental institutions, as well as private sector and civil society organizations.

Equity and Inclusiveness

Promote : Equity and Inclusiveness

Requires : Ensuring all members have a stake in the society.

Requires all groups, particularly the most vulnerable, having opportunities to maintain or improve their well being.

Note: (candidate for Reciprocal Rights inclusion item)

Participation

Promote : Participation

Requires : Transparency

Requires : Participant origin and gender neutrality.

Note: (item 2 and 31 of Sample Reciprocal Rights)

Requires : Being informed and organized.

Essential in order to balance the freedom of expression and association with an organized civil society (We'll need to clarify this a bit to avoid issues hence forth).

Note: informed (See Transparency)

Note: Needs clarification: freedom of expression and association; review Oregon State Law about these areas.

Requires : Participation may be direct or via intermediaries.

Note: We'll have to look at this requirement in light of: We are attempting a direct democracy where governance decisions are concerned and intermediaries would not really work on the lodge level, but they would and must on the EcoRegional Congress level where delegates vote the will of their lodges.

Consensus Orientation

Promote : Consensus Orientation

Requires : Mediation of differing interests to reach a broad consensus as to the best interests of the society.

Requires : An understanding of the historical, cultural and societal contexts of a given society or community.

Requires : A broad and long-term perspective on sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development.

Effectiveness and Efficiency

Promote : Effectiveness and Efficiency

Requires : Institutions, organizations and processes therein to make best use of available resources in producing results that meet the needs of the society.

Responsiveness

Requires : Institutions, organizations and processes therein to try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable time frame.

Note: reasonable time frame: Needs clarification.

Incorporate Kenneth Williams Best Advice

Incorporate Kenneth Williams Best Advice

Note: This section reflects the 10 do's and 10 don't as put forth in Kenneth Williams Book "Globalization from Below", ISBN 978-0-7546-7038-4 . These do's and don'ts account for the top 10 reasons why cooperatives succeed for fail.

Watch closely for the formation of cliques and special interest groups within the cooperatives.

Caution : Watch closely for the formation of cliques and special interest groups within the cooperatives.

Note: This is a big one given human nature. This area needs to be examined thoughtfully and countermeasures formed.

Provide a structure for, policy around, and cultural countering to the development of factions within the association - all while protecting the free exchange of disagreement and opinion.

Promote : Provide a structure for, policy around, and cultural countering to the development of factions within the association - all while protecting the free exchange of disagreement and opinion.

Note: A basic rift in interests appears to be the seed of this kind of thing. Some way of re-converging the interests needs to be maintained. This is a tricky one that we will need to get advice on. I suggest we consult with Jeff Goebel on this for structural supports to interest reconvergence that will provide a cultural support. Facilitation procedures alone will go a long way, but I think we'll need more than that overall.

Provide alternatives to nepotism as a way of helping one's family members.

Promote : Provide alternatives to nepotism as a way of helping one's family members.

Provide essential training

Promote : Provide essential training

Note: Education and culture vary from place to place. Do not assume members are trained. In fact, attending to educational needs as a cooperative is very sound policy. The Mondragon cooperative in Spain started with a vocational school, a priest, and three engineers. They consistently funded the school's development to present where it is now a full university. This is not a cost center, but a center of innovation and development - providing qualified labor and a technological competitive advantage for the investment.

Requires : Provide a clear and brief education on the functions of a cooperative.

Requires : Training on a clear method of properly conducting meetings in accordance with cooperative ideals and general effectiveness.

Every member should have an equal opportunity to be a director, president, or other leader within the cooperative.

Promote : Every member should have an equal opportunity to be a director, president, or other leader within the cooperative.

Note: However, it is key to get Qualified personnel on the boards or Councils. This is where internal training and a certification can help.

Select directors that will NOT FAIL to support the cooperative.

Promote : Select directors that will NOT FAIL to support the cooperative.

Requires : Put in place removal procedures that enable shareholders to remove those who fail in this capacity or are otherwise incompetent.

This needs to be done without giving an opportunity for a potential competing clique to engineer or force a removal.

Caution : This needs to be done without giving an opportunity for a potential competing clique to engineer or force a removal.

Disclose all facts about the cooperative - good and bad.

Promote : Disclose all facts about the cooperative - good and bad.

Note: See Transparency.

Everyone needs to know the facts of the situation clearly.

Support the cooperative with enough risk capital to ensure the job gets done.

Promote : Support the cooperative with enough risk capital to ensure the job gets done.

Ensure that management is properly compensated without breaking the 5:1 pay-ratio maximum ceiling.

Note: Can this be done? Low cost management is the most expensive item.

Encourage members not to bypass the cooperative for short term gains elsewhere, and to really use the cooperative.

Promote : Encourage members not to bypass the cooperative for short term gains elsewhere, and to really use the cooperative.

Note: In part, this is a marketing issue internally. It is important to highlight the benefits of membership honestly compared to the overall market or economy. Provide consistent membership education about the problems cooperatives face and the challenges they must meet in order to realize those benefits.

Encourage members to ask questions and stay active in making policy.

Promote : Encourage members to ask questions and stay active in making policy.

Note: They need to understand that if they fail to do so, that cliques or groups counter to their interests may gain influence. In order to protect their interests they should be encouraged to attend annual or quarterly meetings, and board members should be required to attend board meetings where possible. Passivity where policy is concerned should be discouraged by structure, policy, and culture.

Require members who use cooperatives to take responsibility.

Promote : Require members who use cooperatives to take responsibility.

Note: Each member must be ready to accept responsibility when asked, or as the need arises.

Encourage members to seek the assistance of others rather than resort to dishonesty.

Promote : Encourage members to seek the assistance of others rather than resort to dishonesty.

Note: Most problems can be sorted when they are relatively small in scale. A culture of asking for what is needed is favored over a surveylance culture, the only practicle exception would be for the issuance of credit which must be watched very carefully. Provide counseling support where irrational compulsions or vices are concerned.

Where members are encouraged to seek benefits of membership, required to be responsible to obtain them, encourage to be active in protecting them, and assisted where they may have personal failings - loyalty is easier to come by and less energy will be spent surveying for disloyalty.

Promote : Where members are encouraged to seek benefits of membership, required to be responsible to obtain them, encourage to be active in protecting them, and assisted where they may have personal failings - loyalty is easier to come by and less energy will be spent surveying for disloyalty.

Note: Moral will only improve when the beatings stop of course. Doing all those things and more to communicate and consummate the fact that you are on the member's side creates the loyalty desired. In the case of dissatisfaction, a procedure of severance needs to be provided and adhered to. This may be included in the form of a clause in the membership agreement. Note: under NO circumstances are such agreements to be devised in such a way as to imply or effect an abridgment or denial or waiver of ANY civil or human right. In the case of industrial espionage or sabotage (This is a whole can o worms to really think through), the agent or assign is to be remanded to law enforcement, investigated, and the sponsoring party pursued to the fullest extent of the law. Don't make the mistake of bringing a tambourine to a knife fight. On general principle: it needs to be made expensive to attempt this. Apply where appropriate.

Select a location for your operation very carefully and thoughtfully.

Promote : Select a location for your operation very carefully and thoughtfully.

Note: Consulting with two independent experts in the field is money well spent depending upon your market sector.

Keep accounting records that are designed to be regularly audited.

Promote : Keep accounting records that are designed to be regularly audited.

Note: In our case, this would be the Vigilance Council and the audits would assess all three areas: Social, Environmental, and Financial/Economic.

Provide, and maintain, a financially sound and systematic program for reimbursement of equity.

Promote : Provide, and maintain, a financially sound and systematic program for reimbursement of equity.

Encourage members to do business primarily with the cooperative.

Promote : Encourage members to do business primarily with the cooperative.

Note: This could be seen as partially paying themselves back - or issuing themselves a discount of sorts.

Provide goods and services that members actually use.

Promote : Provide goods and services that members actually use.

Note: Particularly in the case of retail sector. In the case of manufacturing, keeping your product affordable by your labor force - supply to demand balance locally. Oversupply to exports I suppose. My focus here is on local economic balance and regional development. I suggest the subject of global trade ties be revisited when it does not pose a threat to local stability.

Keep the physical appearance of the facility pleasant and tidy, particularly in retail.

Promote : Keep the physical appearance of the facility pleasant and tidy, particularly in retail.